Rae Dre

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Rae Dre is currently reading

Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games)

by Suzanne Collins

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

read in March 2025

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Rae Dre said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" Reread #2. First time via audiobook, second time via ebook. My original review still stands.

Lots of spoilers ahead, including the ending!

I was soooo excited to read this book! I’ve read the original series about 10 times now. Ballad of Song Birds a Reread #2. First time via audiobook, second time via ebook. My original review still stands.

Lots of spoilers ahead, including the ending!

I was soooo excited to read this book! I’ve read the original series about 10 times now. Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes was okay. But this book, I was so excited that I think I had unrealistic expectations.

What worked for me:
I loved learning about Haymitch’s early life. I loved the parallels drawn between Haymitch and Katniss: both being the older child to a same-sex sibling with a single mom, both spending time in the woods, both being rebels who hate the Capital.

I love that he had a love story since the Haymitch we first met seemed incapable of such emotions. It was a great character arch, just not in the way we typically like to see since he goes from a happy, resilient, strong young man with family and friends to a depressed, sickly, alcoholic who pushes everyone away.

I am also glad to understand why Haymitch decided to raise geese. I was always curious about that.

The writing is great and the pace is perfect. I loved the nod to Katniss in the arena. That was a good addition—some gentle foreshadowing.

What didn’t work for me:
I feel like Collins tried to shove all the main players (who were alive at this time) into this novel. Realistically, Haymitch probably would’ve met them while mentoring as the years went on. I understand that she wanted to show how those characters deteriorated before the time we met them in Katniss’ story, but it seems a bit forced.

The constant repetition of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven was a bit overdone. It kind of takes me out of the world of The Hunger Games and places me back in my own. Not a fan.

Haymitch’s time in the arena was weird. He was essentially on side quests the whole time. I also felt that the passage of time was not well established, but that could just be because Haymitch is an unreliable narrator.

Lenora Dove dying by candy laying in a random-ass place was also weird. That could’ve been done better. ...more "

May 19, 2025 01:51PM · see review